At Red Nose, our priority is to ensure all parents and carers know how to sleep their baby safely.
Capsules on shopping trolleys
Following recent social media hacks on putting baby capsules onto shopping trolleys while shopping, Red Nose warns parents and carers of the dangers of leaving baby for long periods in a capsule
Red Nose’s Director of Prevention, Education and Research, Margaret Polacska, shares that car seats and baby capsules are designed for car travel, not prolonged sleeping.
“Once the car journey is over it is very important that you remove baby from the car seat or capsule, even if this means waking baby, because it is not safe for baby to spend long periods in car seats, capsules or infant seats,” Margaret said.
“Removing your baby reduces the risk of potential breathing issues caused by an infant’s neck flexing forward into a chin-to-chest position while sleeping.
“We strongly encourage parents never to leave baby in carriers on shopping carts, counters, or other high locations as falls from car seats and capsules used outside of the car are common,” Margaret said.
Red Nose emphasises the importance of supervising a sleeping baby in a car seat or baby capsule and encourages parents and carers to follow our evidence-based six safe sleep recommendations.
Safe tummy time practices
Following recent social media hacks on putting baby on a pram for tummy time, Red Nose warns parents and carers of the dangers of tummy time on a pram.
“While it is normal for your baby to find tummy time difficult to begin with, practicing tummy time in a pram is unsafe and dangerous,” said Margaret.
“We highly recommend a supervised tummy time on a comfortable firm mattress or on the floor. Parents and carers are also encouraged to incorporate this activity into daily routines, such as after nappy changes, baths, or during floor play.
“Choose a comfortable time when your baby is awake and try a variety of tummy positions.”
“We also strongly encourage face-to-face interaction during tummy time sessions as this can help strengthen the parent-child bond while promoting the infant’s physical and cognitive development,” said Margaret.
To find out more about Red Nose’s tips for an enjoyable tummy time or our safe sleep recommendations, visit our Education Resources page.
Parents and carers can also ring our Red Nose Safe Sleep Advice Line on 1300 998 698.
If you are an influencer check out our Safe Sleeping Image Guide for Influencers.
Media contact: Maria Salvador at mariasalvador@rednose.org.au or call 0402 941 493.